The record-breaking English deal that has Europe's soccer trembling
The English Premier League continues to set itself apart from the rest of the world with its new record media contract and is increasing the pressure on the Bundesliga. Other leagues have already failed miserably in their efforts to keep pace with England. The English can only succeed with a trick.
The Bundesliga bosses had to rub their eyes when they read the record figures from the island. The fact that their English colleagues in the Premier League will be raking in almost two billion euros per season from the sale of national media rights in the future, while here in Germany there have been fears of half that amount for months, is fueling fears of the final end of competitiveness.
However, it is not only German professional soccer that has been left behind even before the sale of its national rights in the second quarter of next year. The fact that this has happened also has to do with the Premier League's hidden reserves. The good news is that these are decreasing. The bad news: they still exist. For the time being, however, the English league has pulled a "joker".
The Premier League has offered matches that were previously not broadcast live. From the 25/26 season, Sunday afternoon matches in England will be broadcast live at 3pm for the first time and the last matchday will also be broadcast live in its entirety. Only the "blackout" on Saturday remains unaffected. Traditionally, the afternoon slot in England is reserved for amateur sport and stadium spectators. It still remains untouched.
Other leagues make losses
Either way, the English have cemented their dominance over the rest of the world with their new contract - and they let their rival leagues on the continent know it. "The result underlines the strength of the Premier League," said league boss Richard Masters: "It is proof that we continue to play the best soccer in the world."
The rest of Europe can hardly disagree. 1.95 billion per season will flow into the coffers of English clubs from 2025. The contract with pay-TV broadcasters Sky Sports and TNT Sports as well as the public broadcaster BBC is valid for four years. Never before has so much been paid for soccer rights, with the Premier League currently collecting 1.83 billion per season.
In comparison: Serie A made a loss when it signed the contract at the end of October. The Italians will receive 900 million per season from DAZN and Sky from next year until the 2028/29 season. Previously, it was 27.5 million euros more per season.
It seems to be even worse for the French. The league association LFP wanted one billion euros per season between 2024 and 2029 - instead of the previous 624 million. Ligue 1 failed spectacularly. When the first phase of the tender ended, none of the interested parties met the financial conditions. Negotiations now have to be held individually with the potential candidates. The Spaniards can be a little more relaxed. They have awarded their rights until 2027 and will receive 1.2 billion euros per season.
DFL dreams itself to the top with superlatives
The German Football League (DFL) is much more interested in the English deal. Next year, the league association will have to take what the turbulent market has to offer for the seasons from 2025/2026 to 2028/2029. The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs currently receive around €1.1 billion per season - which is already a minus of €100 million compared to the previous cycle.
There has long been speculation about a further decline in revenue due to the reported economic problems of potential interested parties. In order to prevent this, the new DFL managing directors Marc Lenz and Steffen Merkel have been advertising on their own behalf for months. After the most recent meeting of the clubs, one superlative followed the next. "The Bundesliga is a top league," said Merkel - and announced with regard to the tender in the spring: "We will offer an innovative top media product at world level."
Looking at the entire globe, however, the Premier League's pioneering role becomes even clearer, as the English are far ahead of all other leagues when it comes to foreign marketing. When domestic and international revenues are added together, the Premier League towers above all others with €3.3 billion per season. Spain (1.49 billion), Germany (1.37), Italy (1.30) and France (790 million) are left with nothing but envy - and fear.
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The German Bundesliga is closely monitoring the Premier League's record deal, as their future media contract negotiations loom. Despite their best efforts, other leagues, such as Serie A and Ligue 1, have struggled to keep up, with the Italian league even reporting losses.
In light of this, the DFL is dreaming of emulating the Premier League's success, aiming to offer an innovative and top-tier media product to potential buyers. However, the English Premier League remains a formidable force in global soccer, with its record-breaking foreign marketing revenue far surpassing that of countries like Germany, Spain, Italy, and France.
Source: www.ntv.de
